Desert Hills Community School of Music (DHCSM) is excited to invite students to enroll in its new Recording Studio Lab class. Created thanks to a generous grant from the Kiwanis Club of Carefree, Recording Studio Lab (RSL) will train students aged 10 through adult in the fundamental principles of music recording, providing both theoretical knowledge and practical skills that will enable them to effectively record and produce their own music. Students do not need any musical training to attend the RSL class, which will be held on the campus of Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N. Tom Darlington Rd. in Scottsdale.
Jointly taught by Kevin Weingartner and Shane Vance, the RSL class will also provide students with an opportunity to record others, including individual musicians, small ensembles and larger concerts. Weingartner, who serves as director of bands at Cactus Shadows High School, holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Audio Production Technologies, works as a freelance DJ and audio specialist, and is so passionate about teaching audio production to middle- and high-school students that he named his dog “Audio.” Vance has many years of recording experience and has independently released two albums from his own studio.
Recording Studio Lab is a hands-on class that will provide students with a strong foundation in recording techniques and the ability to use various recording tools and software. Topics covered may include: introduction to recording, exploring the history and evolution of recording in order to help students better understand today’s equipment and capabilities; digital audio workstations, including how to set up a recording session and basic editing and mixing techniques; practical recording sessions, where students will learn to set up and record different instruments and vocals, overdub and layer tracks, and apply effects and processing; and other hands-on activities, such as setting up and recording a live band, creating and editing MIDI tracks and mixing a multi-track session.
The goal of building an RSL arose following the popularity of the “Recording Studio” elective at DHCSM’s 2024 summer Band Camp. With funds from the Kiwanis Club’s Major Projects Grant Award, DHCSM was able to purchase the necessary equipment and build a portable recording studio as part of its ongoing mission to expand music education opportunities for students in the North Scottsdale, Carefree and Cave Creek communities.
The Recording Studio Lab classes are held on Thursdays from 3-4:30 p.m. Attendance will be capped at six in the Fall 2024 semester. To register or learn more, visit deserthillsmusic.org/recording-studio-lab.
